with 7.5 just around the corner I was curious about your overall thoughts on dawntrail? How do you feel about the direction the patches went, compared to how you felt about the main story. Biggest disappoints and any favorite parts? I know you've had gripes with the writing (me too I hope the political writing is less ass next expansion); and I know you mentioned anti-western as your preferred genre when it comes to writing these kinds of stories, if I remember correctly. is there anything you hope for when it comes to the writing of the game for next expansion?
HI this ask has been sitting in here for a while and for some reason I finally started talking about it on my porn account so I'm moving it here
my biggest disappointment was the complete lack of willingness to engage with the world they made in this regard. i admit i spent the whole time wildly looking for any indications even a hint of this was possible and was pretty much let down at every corner. Their weird fixation with being like "this expac is about #DIVERSITY" while seemingly understanding nothing of why it might be good or why it happens or doesn't happen and just repeating it ad nauseam was frankly bizarre. tural isn't even more diverse than literally anywhere else in fact it might be less diverse because travel there is limited.
in this I mainly blame the patches for failing to follow up. they spend it flopping around trying to make a compelling and resonant thing about what it means to be mortal and just kind of like, failed, because they can't seem to contend anymore with the fact people might still be really fucked up after you saved the world. to me the base expac was very enjoyable and Lamaty'i is to me the most interesting citystate lead we have. her association with gold/dawn/sunrise following the conclusion of the whole azem zodiark-hydaelyn story (actually not concluded as we found out lol) will always make me snile. you get the feeling that you are there when something new is being born and the world belongs to her and everything that comes after and that was Nice. But they kinda like didn't let her have shit and were like actually this shit belongs to nostalgia addled british people who need their rightful monarch to take the crown again and establish diplomatic relations with garlingmald. Everyone establish diplomatic relations with garlemald.
I am not expecting the next expac to have any kind of the political writing I like I think it will be Heavensbringer 2. my greatest hope is that they have a story to tell and will not just rerun old narratives. Ohh god we have to stop the rejoiingn again ohhh god. gourd RETIRE